Industrial process control and automation systems are often used to automate large and complex industrial processes. These types of control and automation systems routinely include process controllers and field devices like sensors and actuators. Some of the process controllers typically receive measurements from the sensors and generate control signals for the actuators.
Measurements, identification information, set points, and other data related to the controllers and field devices may be stored in various devices of a control and automation system. Human operators routinely interact with controllers and other devices in the process control and automation system. Operators of these types of process control and automation systems may request data related to the various process controllers and field devices. Operators may use this information, for example, to track the status of the controllers and field devices and to decide whether changes to the control and automation systems or the underlying industrial processes should be made.